In 1975, after a failed stint at managing & relaunching the image of the notoriously hard living and chaotic band the New York Dolls, Malcolm nurtured the formation of one of the most infamous punk bands in history, The Sex Pistols. He became their manager, and controlled their contracts, as well as most importantly to him, their image in the media. The venture ended in a disastrous US tour, and a film called "The Great Rock And Roll Swindle" that featured McLaren, and glorified his untraditional Situationist PR approach and manipulative Svengali-esque role in the band's career.
In the '80s, after the Sex Pistols had long broken up, Malcolm became the manager of another band, Adam and the Ants which veered away from punk's coarse format via new romantic pirate garb and poly rhythmic African style drumming. When Adam Ant rebelled and left the band, Malcolm repackaged the musicians with a 14 year old Anglo/Burmese girl named Annabella Lwin to form the band Bow Wow Wow. He soon used his headline making skills to propel the band and their underage lead singer to the top of the charts with a nude album cover scandal.
In the early 1980's, Malcolm began producing his own records, beginning with the hits "Buffalo Gals" and "Double Dutch" from the groundbreaking 1983 album "Duck Walk" which used NYC hip hoppers and scratch DJ's The World Famous Supreme Team, as its foundation. Future members of Art of Noise performed on, produced, and/or jointly composed various tracks. He next turned to opera, masterminding a pop adaptation of "Madam Butterfly" on the album "Fans" using an assortment of female vocalists, and skilled musician Robby Kilgore on the tracks.
McLaren has released numerous other albums and tracks since, including contributions to the movie soundtracks of Carry On Columbus, and Kill Bill 2, but his musical career peaked with his 1980's works. McLaren's original "Double Dutch" era material has since been reappropriated and sampled by sucessful artists including Mariah Carey, Eminem, Amerie and De La Soul.
In his later years, McLaren occasionally contributed to newspapers and magazines, directed and produced films and appeared on British reality television programmes. He died on the morning of 8 April 2010, following a battle with cancer.
Walking With Satie
Malcolm McLaren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I do is think about you Charlotte
And the love is left behind
I first saw Paris in Soho when I was thirteen
Sitting on a coffin drinking coffee
I wore black on black with negative feelings
I often go to Paris to live yesterday tomorrow
Francoise Hardy, tous les garcons et les filles
Juliette Greco, Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve
And I'm walking with Eric Satie
Along the boulevards of Paris in the springtime
Un orchestre d'oiseaux, every so often breaks
This map of feelings
Drifting through these landscapes of love
Watching strays from Pere Lacheise
Can you hear the cats purr?
Can you hear the master?
Stone against their velvet fur
Girls who travel the metro
Stroking white mice they carry in their pockets
Lost in a day dream
Daydreaming to be loved by someone
Hurtling myself down into the metro
A train of Latin and African percussion
Turns my day into night
The rhythm of life
The constant arguments between lovers
He wants to listen to the news
She wants to listen to the music
In "Walking With Satie," Malcolm McLaren takes the listener on a poetic journey through the streets of Paris. The singer of the song is tracing his steps in time, reminiscing about a lost love named Charlotte. He first saw Paris in Soho when he was thirteen, and since then, he's been fascinated by the city's romanticism and dream-like quality. He mentions famous French singers like Francoise Hardy, Juliette Greco, Jeanne Moreau, and Catherine Deneuve, as well as a famous French composer Eric Satie, with whom he's walking along the boulevards of Paris in the springtime.
McLaren paints a vivid picture of Paris, mentioning a coffin, negative feelings, dreams, oiseaux (birds), landscapes of love, Pere Lacheise (a famous cemetery), cats purring, and white mice carried by girls in their pockets. He daydreams of being loved by someone, hurtling down into the metro, and listening to the rhythm of life - the constant arguments between lovers. The song has a melodic, dreamy quality that matches the whimsical and romantic theme of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Tracing back my steps in time
Reflecting on my past experiences
All I do is think about you Charlotte
My thoughts are consumed by memories of Charlotte
And the love is left behind
The love I once had with Charlotte is now in the past
I first saw Paris in Soho when I was thirteen
I have fond memories of my first encounter with Paris
Sitting on a coffin drinking coffee
I have a morbid fascination with death
I wore black on black with negative feelings
My emotions are often dark and negative
I often go to Paris to live yesterday tomorrow
I like to relive memories of the past in the present
Because Paris is a place of dreams
Paris represents a utopia in my mind
Francoise Hardy, tous les garcons et les filles
I have an appreciation for French music and adore Francoise Hardy's 'Tous les garcons et les filles'
Juliette Greco, Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve
I admire these iconic French actresses
And I'm walking with Eric Satie
I feel a connection to the music and art of Eric Satie
Along the boulevards of Paris in the springtime
I enjoy walking through the streets of Paris during the springtime
Un orchestre d'oiseaux, every so often breaks
The sounds of birds intermittently interrupt my thoughts
This map of feelings
My emotions are complex and difficult to navigate
Drifting through these landscapes of love
I am lost in thoughts of romantic love
Watching strays from Pere Lacheise
I observe the stray animals in Pere Lacheise cemetery
Can you hear the cats purr?
I am in tune with the sounds of cats
Can you hear the master?
I am conscious of the presence of a higher power
Stone against their velvet fur
The texture of the cats' fur against stone is pleasing
Girls who travel the metro
I notice young women who ride the metro
Stroking white mice they carry in their pockets
These girls have an exotic taste in pets, carrying white mice with them
Lost in a day dream
They appear to be lost in thought
Daydreaming to be loved by someone
These girls may be daydreaming of finding love
Hurtling myself down into the metro
I am rushing down into the metro to catch a train
A train of Latin and African percussion
The sounds on this train are a fusion of Latin and African rhythms
Turns my day into night
The ambiance of the train transforms my mood
The rhythm of life
I am fond of the music of life
The constant arguments between lovers
I am aware of the tumultuous nature of romantic relationships
He wants to listen to the news
One partner wants to keep updated on current events
She wants to listen to the music
The other partner wants to relax and listen to music instead
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GORMAN, MAKAGA, MCLAREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind